A healthier tailgate, for the win

By Lisa Drayer, CNN

Updated 6:08 AM ET, Tue September 4, 2018

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

Snacks and beverages? Check. Funny wigs? Check. Team shirts/cups/flags? Yep. OK, sports fans, now all you need is the back of a vehicle, a few friends, and a few hours before the big game, and you're ready for a tailgating party - just like these Cleveland Browns fans in 2002. Here's a look at how tailgating has evolved over the years:

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

Sports fans started getting together to eat before a big game as far back as the 19th century. When cars became commonplace, these pre-game parties popped up in parking lots outside game venues - and the term "tailgating" emerged. Here, tailgaters in 1940s Chicago enjoy a picnic in the parking lot.

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

Minnesota Vikings fans tailgate in a parking lot outside Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, before an NFL game in 1973.

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

It's not just about food and drinks: music is also a key part of any tailgating party. Here, an accordion player entertains Penn State fans in 1999.

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

Oakland Raiders fans show their team spirit outside the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 1989 (even though at that time the NFL team was the Los Angeles Raiders).

Pittsburgh Steelers fans cheer for their team before Super Bowl XXX at Sun Devil Stadium at Tempe, Arizona, in 1996. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Steelers 27-17.

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

A low-key tailgating party before the annual Michigan-Michigan State football game in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Photos: Tailgating through the years

On November 1, 1992, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton hosted a tailgating party before a Cincinnati Bengals-Cleveland Browns football game in Cincinnati, Ohio -- a key swing state that would help him win the presidential election a few days later.